Home for Christmas

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Description

A moving tale of redemption and the ultimate leap of faith in the tradition of It's a Wonderful Life Petey Pat Kane and Mariana Pia Pelligrino have been in love with each other their whole lives. Even Father Jimmy recognized it the moment he met the little couple as their second-grade teacher at St. Regis in Poplar Grove, Chicago. But years later, on a night that was supposed to be one of the best of their lives, Pete makes a choice that forces him to leave his city behind. Guilt over running away from Mariana and the truths he is too scared to face lead him into the Army, where he becomes Captain Kane, war hero. But nothing can make him forget his humiliation. Or his love for Mariana. Then, on his third deployment in Iraq, Pete is injured in a roadside bomb attack and finds himself alive... and dead, on a spiritual journey of the afterlife so wondrous he is given a second chance at life from God Himself. Yet even a heavenly encounter may not be enough to overcome Pete's legendary stubbornness. That task must fall to Pete's oldest friend, Father Jimmy, who welcomes the wounded soldier back to Poplar Grove. With Christmas approaching, time is running out for Pete to complete the most important mission of his life: convincing himself that he and Mariana really were meant to share a special message of love with the world.

Reviews

"Few writers have what it takes to make God a character in fiction--and not make fools of themselves--but Andrew M. Greeley pulls it off with charm and elan in this delightful love story. If God ever visits Earth, Greeley is the guy He'll read to findout how things are going on this little planet." --Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author

"Warm-hearted, but clear-sighted about the human condition, Home for Christmas is a lovely book. These are characters you will carry with you." --Barbara D'Amato

Author Bio

Father Andrew M Greeley, a Catholic priest and sociologist, is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Ireland in Dublin. He divides his time between teaching at the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona at Tucson.